Bitch Mounting Male, What Does It Mean?

[Guest Berylsmum]

My newly adopted 3 1/2 year old greyhound bitch (she's been with us for 1 1/2 weeks) soon asserted her authority on my younger non-greyhound and he's taken his lowering from number 2 (after me!) to number 3 in the pecking order with good spirits. But Beryl has recently begun to mount him and I'm wondering if I should stop it? I'm also wondering if it could be some sort of 'post spaying' behaviour and she'll stop doing it? She was spayed 15 days ago. They get on very well although Beryl does overwhelm Frankie at times! He loves her but I think sometimes he wishes she was a bit less full on and bossy when they play!

[DocsDoctor]

Mounting isn't always sexual behaviour, it can also just indicate excitement or bossiness and quite a few dogs and bitches alike will attempt it in play. So I don't think this is anything to do with sex or her recent spaying, but rather her saying to him 'Hey let's play but I'M in charge!' It is bad manners though, in doggy as well as human etiquette, so I'd put a stop to it especially if he's uncomfortable with it. Ditto with other kinds of play that you think are getting too rough. I'm sure she will end up in charge, the bitch usually is, but there's no need for her to bully him.

 

I think a 'play nice' command would help here - I'd clap my hands to interrupt them, say 'uh uh, play nice!' and separate them for a while to calm down if need be. That said I don't have experience of running a multidog household, so hopefully someone who has will be along to give further advice.

 

One thing I do know is that play can look and sound alarmingly ferocious, lots of growling etc, when the dogs are still just having a really good time. For the inexperienced owner it can be difficult to judge when things are in danger of going bad - you need to learn to read their body language. My dog Doc for instance has a deep 'play growl' but if it rises in tone then I know he is feeling genuinely threatened!

[GeorgeofNE]

It's dominance behavior, pure and simple. Has nothing to do with sex.

[Guest MyBoys]

I agree, she is just letting him know that she is running the show now, poor guy, it sounds like he is just going to let her be in charge

[Guest Jubilee251]

Yup, dominance. Molly's done this a few times with super rude dogs who jump all over her. She's asserting her authority as the queen around our neighborhood.

[DustysMom]

Both of my female bichons used to hump each other. One, the "normal" way, the other would mount from the head Don't know what movies she may have ben watching while we were out

[jenn8]

A friend's female cocker spaniel tried to hump Bullet once. He just laid there looking at her like "what the **?". It was the funniest thing I have ever seen.

 

Jenn

Edited April 16, 2010 by jenn8

[Guest Berylsmum]

Thank you all for your input. My next question is ... would you let it continue? Beryl has already established that she's ahead of Frankie in the pecking order in other ways. While the mounting doesn't usually upset him he's not totally comfortable with it and I don't think it's necessary. After all, I don't do it to her to establish my dominance, lol! It's not something she does constantly, maybe once or twice a day.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Since they've just recently been introduced, I would leave it be. If she appears to you to be the new alpha, then she's probably well on her way to establishing it. A dog that is the alpha (assumes the responsibilities of such a post and is acknowledged as such by other pack members) doesn't need to constantly reassert dominance. The fact that she's mounting him is a good indication that the order isn't set in stone. Messing with their relationship will only disrupt the process of establishing pack order. Newly introduced dogs don't establish pack order in a week or two and they definitely don't cement it as such. They're working through getting everything squared away and no one is getting hurt - leave it alone.

[Guest burgerandfrey]

Our first grey Aries was a large and sassy female who would sometimes mount other dogs, male and female. Aries mellowed as she got older, but would still assert her Alpha-girl self as needed. She didn't take being bossed around by anybody... except our cat For some reason our cat, who was a rather intimidating 15 pound cat with huge claws, was able to run the place. They were actually quite sweet together and seemed to have worked out an interesting relationship.

 

Anyway... a sassy girl can have a big loving personality. I wouldn't worry about the mounting too much. Our current hounds have some interactions we will stop if these go on for too long or get too intense, but mostly we let them work things out and it's going well. Just make sure she knows you're really in charge. We miss our sassy girl a lot, even though we love our two new greyhounds just as much. Our new girl Lola is much smaller and is quite submissive (although lately she has been pushing our boy Zeke's buttons). Zeke is the alpha. Of course we wish Aries were still around as well. She would teach Zeke a lesson or two! And he needs it...sometimes he can be a bit of a brat. I can imagine the look Zeke would have on his face after being mounted by Aries

 

Sean

[fourofem]

One of my girls, Lizzie, used to hump my pitbull mix all of the time. He was certainly my most dominant and she's as passive as they come but he never fussed at her for doing it. He'd just stand there until she was done. She's never tried it with any other male so I think it must have been love !!!

[Guest Bang_o_rama]

Back In Tha Day, I called that a great date!

~D~

[Guest Berylsmum]

Back In Tha Day, I called that a great date!

~D~

 

Hmm, perhaps I'm just jealous lol! Thanks everyone, you've helped to put my mind at ease. We are still getting to know Beryl and she is still learning to be a pet and get to know us, and I'm sure we haven't seen the best and worst of her yet!!! Just now she was helping Frankie dig a hole in the lawn, just what I need, 2 excavators:lol